Rainfall
by WitchingWillow
Summary: Switzerland is late coming home and Liechtenstein hears footsteps outside.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Hetalia.

R & R!

* * *

Liechtenstein frowned slightly as she tidied the room. Why wasn't Brother home yet? He didn't say he'd be working late. Plucking the wilting flowers from the vase, she hoped that he was alright.

Footsteps outside. She ran to the door, hoping it was Brother. She opened the door, expecting to see him. Instead she saw Italy running across the yard _again_. "Eep!" he exclaimed, thinking it was Switzerland in the doorway. He began to run faster.

Liechtenstein blushed. How hard could it be to remember pants? "Italy," she called out, her voice ringing above the sound of the steady rainfall as she looked slightly off to the side of the Italian. He turned around, surprised by the feminine voice. "Ve, what?"

"Come inside, it's raining. I'll see if I can find you some clothes," she said, still blushing at his lack of. After Italy stepped inside, she ran up the stairs.

She was sure she had something that would fit the Italian _somewhere_. Looking over at her sewing basket, she saw a few hand-me-downs she had been planning on hemming. She quickly selected the needed garments, and ran down the stairs again. "Here," she said, handing them to Italy. "There's a restroom down the hall," Liech said, pointing him in the right direction. "It's the second door on your left."

As the Italian changed, Liech's blush faded. _I hope Brother won't mind._ She went to the kitchen and began assembling dinner. "Liechtenstein?" The Italian's voice rose from the sitting room. "I'm in the kitchen," she replied.

When the Italian walked in he was, thankfully, wearing a complete outfit. He looked to see what the Liechtensteinerin was doing. "May I help?" he asked. "I can cook pasta and pasta and gelato and pasta…" he trailed off as she giggled. "You said pasta three times. But if you want to help you can peel the potatoes." She handed him a peeler. It was nice to have company besides Brother once and a while. "Do you know how?" The Italian nodded, and, to prove his point, began peeling potatoes. "After you finish, would you mind chopping them up?" After seeing that he could, in fact, peel, Liech turned back to the stove.

Italy tried to start a conversation. "Um… thank-you for the pants," he said. Liech blushed. "I still don't see how you can forget them," she commented, eyes still on the boiling water. Italy looked over at her._ She looks cute when she blushes. _Quickly he turned away from that thought. He doubted her brother would even let him get away with flirting. Still…

The water was ready. "Are you done with the potatoes?" He smiled at her as he put the potatoes is the pot of boiling water. "Thank-you," she said. _Why am I blushing?_

Suddenly, there were three, crisp knocks at the door. Liech turned to Italy asking if he would like to stay for supper. He was already gone. Frowning slightly, she called out, "Come in!" Switzerland let himself in and walked into the kitchen. Brother was home.

* * *

Really strange pairing, I know. But it would just look so cute though I wouldn't expect Switzerland to be too happy.


	2. Chapter 2

Thoughts are in Italics. Enjoy!

* * *

"Guten abend, Brother," Liech said as she stirred the pot of stew.

Switzerland smiled slightly at his sister. "What did you do today?" he asked as he started setting the table.

"I cleaned the front room and read a bit of a book I recently started. Oh! And Italy helped me make dinner!"

"What?!" Switzerland exclaimed. He didn't like the Italian. And made no secret of it either.

Liech blushed. "He forgot his pants again, and it was raining so I gave him some of your hand-me-downs that I was going to hem up. And then he helped me make the stew." She took the ladle and poured a bowl for her Brother and herself.

Switzerland took a bowl. _I suppose I should be happy she has someone to talk to but why Italy?! _They ate in silence.

At the end of the meal, Liech started clearing the table. "Remember Hungary's coming for dinner tomorrow," she said. Switzerland began helping with drying the dishes and putting them away.

---

Italy continued on his path to Germany's. Nightmares again. Though, after helping Liech, he didn't remember them quite so clearly.

"Doitsu! I had a bad dream!"

Germany sighed. "What was it this time?"

"I don't remember! I just know that it was scary," The Italian replied.

That shocked Germany slightly. He always remembered his nightmares… "What made you forget?"

"I think it's because I ran into Liechtenstein. I helped her cook dinner too!" Germany just stared at the Italian. Did he have no sense of self preservation at all?

"I dear hope for your sake that she doesn't tell Switzerland that you came by. Or you may have several more bullet wounds," the German said.

Italy tensed at that. "I was just being friendly, ve!"

"Not with Switzerland's sister. That's a bad idea. If you flirt with Liech, he will shoot you. If he even thinks that you might have flirted with her, he will shoot you. He's very protective of his sister."

Italy nodded. He didn't want to be shot…

* * *

Short chapter! Sorry if Germany's not very Germanyish. R & R!


	3. Chapter 3

She checked her bag. _Bread… milk… eggs…_After checking she had everything she needed, Liech went to the back of the long line. Sighing slightly at its abnormal length, she pulled out a book from her purse and began reading.

"Oh! Pasta… gelato… tortellini… marinara sauce…" The Italian frowned, trying to think of what he had forgotten. He was sure Germany had asked him to get something. After thinking for a while, he simply shrugged and stood in line.

In front of him, Liech heard someone walk up behind her. She turned, hoping to make conversation. Instead, seeing Italy, she blushed remembering their last meeting.

With a pale blush in her cheeks, she said, "Guten Tag, Italien." Her eyes fell ever so slightly as she tried to make the blood fade from her cheeks.

"Hi!" He replied, not noticing her embarrassment. He gushed and gushed, thanking her at least seven times for the pants. Once she thought the blush had faded, Liech looked up and tried to follow his words which continued drifting between Italian and English. Sometimes he would pause and she would try to answer his statement or question with one of her own, but more often times he wouldn't leave her space to comment.

Switzerland was getting slightly anxious, waiting outside for his sister. _I shouldn't have let her go inside by herself. What if something happens?_

Finally, after considering all the things that could go wrong, he went into the store. Seeing the line, he understood why she hadn't left the store yet. Still… He began to look for her.

When he found her, the Italian was still continuing his seemingly neverending stream of words. Stiffening at Italy's presence, Switzerland quickly walked to his sister's side, stepping inbetween Liech and the Italian. Taking his sister's hand, he said, "We're going home. Now." Walking slightly behind her brother, they returned all the food to shelves. They would come back another time, when it was less crowded.

Once they were and on their way home, the Swiss spun around, facing his sister. "Why was Italy there?"

She looked at him, and answered, "I truly don't know Brother. Probably just getting groceries."

"But why was he near you?" A slight wisp of anger was slipping into his voice. If that Italian so much as glanced at his sister in anything that could be taken in such a manner.

Hearing the slight change in his voice, Liech answered, "He was standing in line. That's all, Brother. He also thanked me for the pants." She blushed as she said her last sentence.

Seeing his sister's discomfort with the conversation, Switzerland let the topic slip for the moment. _But Italy had better stay away from Liechtenstein… Or else._


	4. Chapter 4

He stood timidly at the door, not sure if he should knock. This was his first purposeful visit here and he didn't really want to get shot. His fist hesitated centimetres before the door, uncertain.

"...Brother, how is it any of your business who I talk to? We were just talking!"

"It is my business if he's going to-"

"Going to what? Cook with me? Talk to me? I thought you'd be happy I finally have someone to talk to. You're always saying I need to get out of the house more! Well, here's an opportunity."

A heavy sigh. A pause as the speaker phrased things in his head. "I am happy for you, Lilli. But why him? Why does it have to be him? What about Hungary? You're her friend! But you never visit her! Yet all of a sudden, you've decided to meet up with Italy various places and invite him into our house and-"

"I didn't 'plan' to meet up with him anywhere! We bumped into each other while shopping for groceries! Which, by the way, we need to go back and get because we're really running low on eggs and bread and milk and just about everything else now too! And as for inviting him into 'our' house, if it really was 'our' house, that wouldn't be an issue, would it? But it isn't our house, I'm just your younger sister who lives in your house and cooks and sews and cleans." A longer pause this time.

The reply came again, pleading this time. "Lilli... That's not what I meant. I just, I want to protect you from-"

"From what? From him? Or the world? Because no matter what you do, it's always going to be there and someday you might not be there to help me face it."

Backing away from the door, Italy pulled his arm back just in time as the door flew open and Lilli stormed out with tears streaming down her face. She glanced up at him, shocked to see him there. "Why are you here?"

"I came to return your pants, but I can leave and come back another time?" _Or not at all._ He never wanted to cause problems between her and her brother. He just wanted to talk to her.

"No!" she exclaimed, then with a look of shock at what she had said, she wiped the tears off her face and repeated, "No. Now's fine. Thank you. I'll take them inside." She paused, unsure, then hugged him tightly. "Thanks for helping with dinner the other day. I appreciate it."

Italy, embraced her as well and when the embrace ended, he looked at her face and saw a tear trickling down her cheek. He took her chin gently in one hand and wiped the tear off with the other as her wide, emerald eyes glistened with their tears. "You shouldn't cry, ve. It makes your face go all splotchy." He paused for a moment and leaned in, hesitating. Then with a blush, he released her face and turned away, starting the walk home. He couldn't do that to her. She couldn't mess things up even more than they were already.

She stood there and watch him walk away, the borrowed pants grasped in her hands.

In the doorway, Switzerland's arm fell, gun in hand. He knew she would never forgive him if he shot him now. He had already lost too much of her trust. He couldn't bear to have her leave him. He loved her too much. She was his sister after all. All her wanted to do was keep her safe.


End file.
